In a number of medical facilities, medication and other medical supplies are distributed from one or more locations, such as from a central pharmacy, to a number of patients, to one or more medication cabinets or the like that are dispersed throughout the medical facility. In order to facilitate the distribution of medication and other medical supplies throughout a medical facility, medication bins may be provided. Each medication bin may be filled with the medication or other medical supplies that are to be provided to a particular patient and/or to be stored in a particular medication cabinet. For example, a medication bin may be filled with the medication and other medical supplies to be consumed by a particular patient during one day. Once a medication bin has been filled, the medication bin may be transported to its destination, such as to a healthcare worker responsible for the particular patient or responsible for the filling and maintenance of the medication cabinet. For example, the medication bin may be transported to the nursing station that oversees and has responsibility for the particular patient or the medication cabinet that is the destination of the medication bin. The medication or other medical supplies may then be removed from the medication bin and the medication bin may be returned to the central pharmacy or the like for subsequent use in conjunction with the delivery of other medications or medical supplies.
In order to insure that the medication and other medical supplies are properly distributed throughout the medical facility, it is of importance that the medication bin be delivered to the intended destination. As such, labels are generally printed or handwritten with the destination of the respective medication bins, such as with the name of the patient and the patient's location, such as the unit, floor and/or room number of the patient, or the designation of a particular medication cabinet and its location, such as its unit and/or floor. The labels may then be secured to respective medication bins in order to provide a visible reminder of the destination of the medication bins. Although the labels may be carried by the medication bins in various manners, at least some medication bins include a transparent plastic sleeve in which the labels are inserted and remain during the delivery process. Following delivery of a medication bin to its destination or upon the return of the medication bin to the central pharmacy following its delivery, the label may be removed. Another label may then be printed and associated with the medication bin, such as by being inserted in a plastic sleeve carried by the medication bin, in order to identify the next destination of the medication bin.
The repeated printing of the label and the affixation and removal of the label from the medication bins may consume more time and cost more money than is desired. As such, it would be desirable to provide an improved technique for identifying the destination of medication bins that are repeatedly utilized to transport medication and other medical supplies to various destinations, such as patients and/or medication cabinets distributed throughout a medical facility.